Does my son's squint problem needs urgent intervention?

Answered by: Dr Arun Mishra | Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, UK

Q:My 6 months old son has squint in his left eye. Whenever he sees any object closed to him, his left eye goes inside toward nose but the right eye is proper. What could be the reason for this? I am in a foreign country and unable to test it here. Can I wait for six more months and consult doctor?

A:Squint itself is just a cosmetic problem, but (big but) you need to know what caused the squint in the first place. Cause can be any reason, which has affected the vision in that squinting eye. It can be any thing from simple refractive error (i.e. need for glasses) to cataract or any disease from minor to serious.

The main cause or effect of this condition is poor vision. Sooner the cause is found out and dealt with, better will be the result.

There are eye specialists in foreign countries too and the best thing is to have an initial consultation with the local eye specialist as soon as possible and he may start the initial treatment and you can afford to wait until you go to India. I want you to know also that the management will involve several visits to the eye specialist over a period of time while the child is growing up and visual assessments are on going.

Eventually, if squint persists after medical treatment, surgery may be required to correct it. Eventual out come will be good.